Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation

    Enabling and enhancing sliding ferroelectricity in homobilayers via atomic intercalation

    Shuangli Yue1,*, Dong-Hui Xu1,*, Li Zhang1, Gang Jiang1, Mingli Yang1, and Xian Wang1,2,†

    • 1Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Key Laboratory of High Energy Density Physics of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
    • 2School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371

    • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
    • †Contact author: wangx@scu.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. B 112, 245413 – Published 12 December, 2025

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/173h-6tqw

    Abstract

    Sliding ferroelectricity (FE) in two-dimensional (2D) materials offers a promising route to ultrathin, low-power, nonvolatile devices, yet in pristine homobilayers it is typically weak and confined to a small subset of known 2D materials. This limitation prompts a central question: Can sliding FE be reliably induced and substantially enhanced in otherwise nonferroelectric homobilayers through a controllable, experimentally feasible intervention? Here, we combine high-throughput first-principles calculations with machine learning to establish atomic intercalation as a versatile strategy for activating and amplifying sliding FE. Notably, we identify pristine InP and GaP as record performers, exhibiting out-of-plane polarizations up to 21.0 pC/m, approximately ten times greater than experimentally synthesized BN and over 45 times higher than MoS2, while maintaining moderate switching barriers of just 13.6 and 32.0 meV/f.u. Intercalation with Cu, Ag, and Au expands the pool from 106 pristine sliding FE systems to 591, including 212 activated from initially nonferroelectric states. To accelerate exploration of this enlarged configurational space, we develop a descriptor-free graph neural network incorporating message passing and global attention, enabling direct polarization prediction from atomic configurations. This integrated computational–machine learning framework delivers a robust and tunable pathway for designing high-performance sliding ferroelectrics and a blueprint for targeted discovery of functional 2D materials.

    Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

    Authorization Required

    We need you to provide your credentials before accessing this content.

    Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

    References (Subscription Required)

    Outline

    Information

    Sign In to Your Journals Account

    Filter

    Filter

    Article Lookup

    Enter a citation